Chemical analyses of water from selected wells in Jefferson County (table 2) indicate that most of the water is of the calcium bicarbonate type. The concentration of dissolved solids in water samples from wells provides a general means of evaluating the quality of water in various aquifers. The concentration of dissolved solids ranges from 125 to 1,190 mg/l (milligrams per liter), with most values ranging from 300 to 600 mg/l. Water is considered to be of good quality for public supply if the dissolved-solids concentration is less than 500 mg/l, and of acceptable quality if the concentration is less than 1,000 mg/l. (The limits of the various constituents cited are those recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service, 1962.) Sulfate concentrations were generally low for most of the samples analyzed; however, two of the samples contained concentrations of sulfate in excess of the 250 mg/l limit recommended for public water supplies. The water generally is very hard, but it can be softened if found objectionably so.

Table 2--Chemical analyses of water from selected wells and test holes.
(1) [Dissolved constituents and hardness given in milligrams per liter.]

Well number

Depth (feet)

Geologic source

Date of collection

Temperature (deg. C)

Dissolved solids(evaporated at180 deg. C)

Silica(SiO2)

Totaliron (Fe)

Manganese (Mn)

Calcium (Ca)

Magnesium (Mg)

Sodium andpotassium(Na + K)

Bicarbonate (HCO3)

Sulfate (SO4)

Chloride (Cl)

Fluoride (F)

Nitrate (2) (NO3)

Hardness as CaCO3

Specific conductance(micromhos at 25 deg. C)

pH

Total

Noncarbonate

7-16E-25ddd

28

Auburn Shale, Bern Limestone

7/11/67

18

941

16

0.22

0

210

27

64

386

86

140

0.1

200

640

330

1520

7.5

7-17E-33ddd

20

Terrace deposits

7/10/67

17

1040

15

0.74

0

210

21

75

312

19

110

0.1

430

620

360

1580

7.3

7-18E-25bba

102

Glacial drift

4/14/67

13

499

24

0.28

0.24

96

24

51

400

73

28

0.7

6.2

340

10

810

7.6

27cdc

60

Glacial drift

6/30/67

18

476

22

0.01

0

100

20

40

386

19

28

0.1

56

330

18

790

7.4

30bbc

30

Glacial drift

4/14/67

13

290

16

0.53

0

77

7.8

16

246

16

5

0.2

31

220

22

470

7.4

7-19E-29bba

162

Glacial drift

5/20/66

501

27

0.68

0.22

100

30

39

427

40

40

0.2

10

390

36

860

7.7

31aaa

138

Glacial drift

8/14/67

446

23

0.566

0.18

62

22

82

449

14

20

0.5

0.9

240

0

720

7.6

7-20E-31ddc

60

Glacial drift

4/11/67

16

381

23

0.05

0

88

21

20

371

12

8

0.4

27

310

2

620

7.5

8-16E-12bcd

62

Alluvium

7/11/67

18

603

19

9.8

0.86

100

35

83

608

16

48

0.1

0.9

400

0

1010

7.4

8-17E- 9aaa

50

Terrace deposits

4/14/67

16

1190

15

0.53

0

180

35

140

373

150

120

0.1

350

600

290

1770

7.2

15dca

48

Scranton Shale, Howard Limestone

7/10/67

16

815

11

0.11

0

160

27

67

283

290

34

0.1

93

500

270

1110

7.6

19dcb

80

Alluvium

4/14/67

13

809

9

0.03

0.4

160

22

79

381

87

57

0.1

210

480

170

1260

7.4

24bcc

72

Terrace deposits

7/10/67

17

418

15

0.74

0.28

80

14

60

354

31

41

0.1

3.1

260

0

680

7.5

35dcc

80

Glacial drift

7/10/67

20

500

12

0.03

0

110

16

38

300

130

15

0.1

30

350

100

740

7.6

8-18E-27aaa

10

Glacial drift

4/10/67

14

340

6

0.01

0

93

15

14

312

37

16

0.1

5.3

290

38

570

7.3

8-19E-9cbc

66

Glacial drift

4/10/67

13

604

18

0.01

0

130

17

45

315

13

39

0.3

190

380

130

930

7.3

19caa

43

Glacial drift

6/30/67

15

801

23

0.07

0

150

33

69

346

40

110

0.4

210

510

220

1340

7.4

26cda

132

Tecumseh Shale, Queen Hill Shale Member of Lecompton Limestone

11/8/66

462

26

0.14

0.28

80

27

50

434

23

20

0.3

21

310

0

720

7.9

8-20E-32dcc

24

Alluvium

4/11/67

13

363

9

27

0.06

99

13

16

332

52

4

0.2

6.2

300

28

590

7.5

33ccc

42

Glacial drift

4/11/67

15

443

12

0.43

0

91

25

32

334

20

22

0.3

77

330

56

740

7.3

9-17E-11abd

26

Glacial drift

4/12/67

16

125

2.2

0.21

0

26

6.6

6.2

66

40

2

0.2

8.8

92

38

210

8.0

18cbb

11

Glacial drift

4/17/67

12

327

7.2

0.03

0

98

12

7.6

327

29

4

0.3

8

290

26

550

7.6

25dab

54

Alluvium

5/4/66

292

18

0.03

0

82

8.6

10

426

2.8

6

0.1

8.8

240

24

460

7.4

32ddd

32

Glacial drift

4/12/67

13

596

16

0.59

0

120

23

24

205

22

76

0.3

210

410

240

960

7.6

9-18E-14cbb

12

Glacial drift

4/10/67

13

548

10

0.45

0

120

29

43

434

120

8

0.2

15

410

50

850

7.3

27cda

20

Alluvium

4/13/67

14

343

10

3.8

0.08

99

12

10

303

53

8

0.2

1.8

300

48

560

7.5

9-19E-1cbc

49

Glacial drift

7/12/67

22

195

6

0.05

0

45

6.7

13

122

14

15

0.2

35

140

40

320

8.0

9add

24

Alluvium

4/10/67

13

670

12

2.5

0

130

31

72

422

130

53

0.5

21

450

90

1050

7.4

16cbc

70

Calhoun Shale, Deer Creek Limestone

6/30/67

20

352

18

0.01

0

72

30

21

293

9.5

4

0.3

3.5

300

0

600

7.5

24cbc

92

Calhoun Shale, Deer Creek Limestone

7/14/67

15

417

7.5

2.3

0.08

83

29

31

368

62

17

0.2

6.6

330

24

670

7.7

34ccc

40

Glacial drift

6/30/67

21

434

16

0.01

0

100

22

21

322

30

31

0.2

53

340

81

730

7.3

10-17E-29ccc

14

Glacial drift

4/12/67

13

1110

12

0.03

0

190

41

120

425

360

88

0.4

88

640

290

1620

7.4

10-18E-8ccb

20

Glacial drift

4/12/67

12

590

6.6

18

0.24

170

14

15

405

160

15

0.2

5.3

490

160

910

7.5

14caa

37

Glacial drift, Calhoun Shale

4/10/67

17

996

8.4

3.8

0.3

220

32

57

400

130

76

0.4

270

690

360

1470

7.0

10-19E-22bac

14

Alluvium

4/3/67

9

626

12

1.5

0.12

160

28

16

388

150

43

0.2

23

530

210

980

6.7

26ddd

24

Alluvium

6/30/67

18

380

9.6

0.23

0

88

14

32

295

37

24

0.2

30

280

35

640

7.4

30aad

35

Glacial drift

4/10/67

15

612

26

0.03

0

130

36

20

344

10

85

0.3

130

480

200

1020

7.3

10-20E-16ada

30

Glacial drift

4/3/67

15

1070

18

0.21

0.26

200

58

52

307

46

160

0.3

390

730

480

1680

7.0

31dcd

15

Glacial drift, Tecumseh Shale

6/29/67

16

277

14

0.09

0.14

80

7.9

11

283

17

6

0.1

1.5

230

0

470

7.1

11-16E-13cbd

78

Newman terrace deposits

5/18/66

16

395

20

0.03

0.05

110

7.8

21

322

59

13

0.1

6.2

300

40

630

7.3

11-17E-18ccc

93

Newman terrace deposits

4/28/66

383

31

0

0

100

11

17

320

38

11

0.1

16

300

35

600

7.5

20cac

70

Newman terrace deposits

4/8/66

14

576

26

2.3

0.87

150

20

22

376

140

30

0.2

0.9

470

160

880

7.6

21ada

48

Newman terrace deposits

6/1/66

14

267

25

67

6.1

14

198

33

5

0.2

19

190

30

400

7.9

25bbc

52

Newman terrace deposits

5/27/66

15

360

27

0.13

0

110

4.1

14

256

40

7

0.1

8.8

280

30

540

8.4

11-18E-16bbb

75

Newman terrace deposits

6/20/66

14

509

20

21

0.62

140

9.7

19

356

64

21

0.1

59

390

100

820

7.6

20acb

44

Newman terrace deposits

7/15/66

14

362

28

0.22

0.35

100

11

16

344

28

6

0.2

2.2

300

15

580

7.6

24ccd

84

Newman terrace deposits

4/20/67

14

433

23

20

12

110

20

11

307

84

14

0.2

21

350

100

690

7.6

26bab

81

Newman terrace deposits

5/18/66

15

405

30

0.09

0.06

110

18

15

376

35

10

0.1

5.3

340

33

660

7.4

26ccd

57

Alluvium

5/26/66

14

389

32

8

1

110

15

11

376

28

6

0.2

2.7

330

26

600

7.9

11-19E-21dab

13

Alluvium

4/10/67

12

396

12

0.07

0

110

11

22

303

41

26

0.2

29

310

62

640

7.5

24acc

35

Alluvium

6/29/67

19

302

12

15

0.17

85

11

13

278

26

15

0.1

2.2

260

29

510

7.4

27bcc

58

Terrace deposits

12/2/50

14

230

12

0.35

61

5.4

11

181

12

9

0.1

30

170

26

11-20E-19daa

16

Glacial drift, Kanwaka Shale

4/3/67

13

349

7.2

2.4

0.18

91

18

15

312

36

24

0.4

3.8

300

45

580

7.2

1. Analyses by Kansas State Department of Health
2. In areas where the nitrate content of water is known to exceed 45 mg/l,
the public should be warned of the potential dangers of using the water
for infant feeding (U.S. Public Health Service, 1962, p. 7).

About a third of the water samples analyzed contained concentrations of nitrate (NO3) in excess of the 45 mg/l limit recommended for public water supply. Ingestion by infants (less than 6 months old) of water containing nitrate in concentrations in excess of 45 mg/b may cause infantile methemoglobinemia (also called cyanosis or blue-baby disease). It may also affect young stock animals adversely. Boiling or softening of water does not remove or decrease the nitrate content. A brief investigation of a number of wells that yield water having a high nitrate content indicated that surface pollution was the probable source of the nitrate. Legumes, plant debris, fertilizers, animal wastes, and sewage probably are the sources of nitrate in most surface and ground waters. Protection of wells against the entrance of surface water may not be sufficient to prevent nitrate pollution. Nitrate can be leached from surface sources and can be carried to the water table where the nitrate will remain in solution.

Iron and manganese, when present in concentrations of more than 0.3 mg/l, may cause turbidity in the water and staining of plumbing fixtures and laundered fabrics. In Jefferson County the majority of samples contained iron concentrations of less than 1.0 mg/l.

Kansas Geological Survey, Jefferson County Geohydrology
Web version July 2002. Original publication date Dec. 1972.
Comments to webadmin@kgs.ku.edu
The URL for this page is http://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Geology/Jefferson/05_chem.html